Americanist Stratigraphic Excavation and the Measurement of Culture Change

Many versions of the history of Americanist archaeology suggest there was a stratigraphic revolution during the second decade of the twentieth century—the implication being that prior to about 1915 most archaeologists did not excavate stratigraphically. However, articles and reports published during the late nineteenth century and first decade of the twentieth century indicate clearly that many Americanists in fact did excavate stratigraphically. What they did not do was attempt to measure the passage of time and hence culture change. The real revolution in Americanist archaeology comprised an analytical shift from studying synchronic variation to tracking changes in frequencies of artifact types or styles—a shift pioneered by A. V. Kidder, A. L. Kroeber, Nels C. Nelson, and Leslie Spier. The temporal implications of the analytical techniques they developed—frequency seriation and percentage stratigraphy—were initially confirmed by stratigraphic excavation. Within a few decades, however, most archaeologists had begun using stratigraphic excavation as a creational strategy—that is, as a strategy aimed at recovering superposed sets of artifacts that were viewed as representing occupations and distinct cultures. The myth that there was a stratigraphic revolution was initiated in the writings of the innovators of frequency seriation and percentage stratigraphy.     

CT imaging of human mummies: a critical review of the literature (1979–2005)

The number of computerised tomography (CT) investigations of mummies has increased since the first published study in 1979. However, this approach has never been validated. We present a critical analysis of the literature (1979 to 2005). Relevant articles were selected via a MedLine search and analysed according to CT technique, methodology, and author's speciality. Thirty‐one original articles matched our selection criteria. Of these studies, 42% were authored by radiologists, while 26% had no contribution from radiologists. Hypothesis‐driven papers comprised only 9.7% of the total. While 84% of the studies had a stated purpose for conducting the CT study, only 67% of studies defined their CT protocol clearly. CT was used to study mummification techniques in 74% of instances, and/or to detect disease in 58%. Conclusions based on CT analysis were derived in 84% of studies, but only 32% of these answered specific questions. Furthermore, only 36% of these conclusions were related to the stated purpose of the study. Using the criteria of the grading system we developed, we found that 61% of studies were supported only by weak evidence. We conclude that evidence‐based research with better design should be encouraged in future palaeoradiological studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Darwinian Evolutionism Is Applicable to Historical Archaeology

Over the past decade or so, an increasing number of archaeologists have begun to show interest in employing Darwinian evolutionary theory to explain variations in the material record. Epistemological and methodological issues surrounding the implementation of Darwinian evolutionism in archaeology are numerous, the most basic of which is that Darwinism embodies a materialist perspective, whereas archaeology traditionally has maintained an essentialist outlook. Stemming from this dichotomy are fundamental differences in such things as how units are created and how they are used to measure change. As archaeologists grapple with these issues, specific examples of how Darwinian evolutionism can be used to build historical narratives and create historical explanations are appearing with more frequency, but with few exceptions, proponents have focused specifically on the prehistoric record. This gives the impression that Darwinian evolutionism is not applicable to the more-recent material record, which is decidedly not the case. The kind of evolutionism proposed here transcends the age of the record under investigation.     

Book reviews

Paul Dibb (ed.), Australia's External Relations in the 1980s: The Interaction of Economic, Political and Strategic Factors. Croom Helm Australia, Canberra, 1983, pp. 227. $19.95.

Grant Wardlaw, Political Terrorism. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1982, pp. xiii + 218. $14.95.

B. E. O'Neill, W. R, Heaton and D. J. Alberts (eds), Insurgency in the Modern World. Westview Press, Boulder Co., 1980, pp. xii + 291. $US39.00

Michael Chisholm, Modern World Development. Hutchinson World Library, London, 1982, pp. 216. $17.95.

David E. Kaiser, Economic Diplomacy and the Origins of the Second World War: Germany, Britain, France, and Eastern Europe, 1930–1939. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1980, pp. xvi + 346. $US33.00 (cloth); $US16.50 (paper).

Walter Laqueur, Europe Since Hitter: The Rebirth of Europe. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England, 1982, pp. 607. $9.95.

Michael Newman, Socialism and European Unity: The Dilemma of the Left in Britain and France. Junction Books, London, 1983, pp. 292. $14.95.

Mervyn Matthews, Education in the Soviet Union. Policies and Institutions since Stalin. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1982, pp. xiv + 225. $15.95.

H. F. & W. F. Scott, The Soviet Control Structure: Capabilities for Wartime Survival. Crane Russak, New York, 1983, pp. x + 146. No price given.

David Wilson, The Demand for Energy in the Soviet Union. Croom Helm, London and Canberra, 1983, pp. 130. $37.95.

John L. Esposito (ed.), Voices of Resurgent Islam. Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford, 1983, pp. vii + 294. $20.00

John W.. Longworth, Beef in Japan: Politics, Production, Marketing and Trade. University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1983, pp xxvii + 327. $25.00.

John K. Fairbank, Edwin O. Reischauer and Albert M. Craig, East Asia: Tradition and Transformation. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, new impression 1983, pp. xvi + 982. $45.95

Keith Hancock, Yoko Sano, Bruce Chapman and Pamela Fayle (eds), Japanese and Australian labour markets: A comparative study. Australia‐Japan Research Centre, Canberra and Tokyo, 1983, pp. xx+ 610. No price given.

Lesleyanne Hawthorne (ed.), Refugee: The Vietnamese Experience. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1982, pp. xvi + 330. $29.00 (cloth); $ 14.99 (paper).

Stuart Harris and Brian Bridges, European Interests in ASEAN. Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chathan House Papers No. 19, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1983, pp. 89. £4.95.

H. W. Arndt, The Indonesian Economy: Collected Papers, Chopmen Publishers, Singapore, 1984, pp. viii + 279. $S.56.00 (cloth); $S.36.00 (paper).

Y. Sugimoto and R. E. Mouer, Japanese Society: Stereotypes and Realities (pp. 41, 1982); F. Freiberg, Women in Mizoguchi Films (pp. 39, 1981); D. F. Henderson, Joint Ventures and Investments in Japan (pp. 23, 1981); Y. Sugimoto, H. Shimada & S. B. Levine, Industrial Relations in Japan (pp. 58, 1982); S. Tsurumi, Japanese Conceptions of Asia (pp. 20, 1982); Vera Mackie, Japanese Children and Politeness (pp. 42, 1982); J. A. A. Stockwin, The Rights and Lefts of Japanese Politics (pp. 13, 1984); P. Sheard, Auto Production Systems in Japan (pp. 80, 1983); T. Matsuzawa, Japanese Fascism and the Tenno Imperial State (pp. 17, 1984); R. Hidaka, Democracy and the ‘Control State’ in Japan (pp. 38, 1984); J. V. Neustupny, Communicating with the Japanese (pp. 18, 1984).

All published by the Japanese Studies Centre, Clayton, Victoria. Price $3.00 except that by Sheard which is $8.00.

David Goldsworthy, Tom Mboya: The Man Kenya Wanted to Forget. Heinemann Educational Books, Nairobi, 1982, pp. xii + 308. No price given.

Jock McCulloch, Black Soul White Artifact. Fanon's Clinical Psychology and Social Theory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983, pp. xi + 249. $56.00.

Jay R. Mandle, Patterns of Caribbean Development: An Interpretive Essay on Economic Change. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, 1982, pp. xi + 156. $35.80

A. L. Weeks and W. C. Bodie (eds), War and Peace: Soviet Russia Speaks (with an essay by F. R. Barnett). National Strategy Information Centre, Inc., New York, 1983, pp. 51. $1.95.

J. E. Larson and W. C. Bodie, The Intelligent Layperson's Guide to the Nuclear Freeze and Peace Debate. National Strategy Information Centre, Inc., New York, 1983, pp. 65. $2.95.

Laurio H. Destefani, Malvinas, Georgia y Sandwich del Sur, ante el Conflicto con Gran Bretana. Edipress S.A., Buenos Aires, 1982, pp. 144. No price given.

Myriam Dornoy, Politics in New Caledonia. Sydney University Press, Sydney, 1984, pp. xvi + 302. $42.50.

L. W. Johnson, Colonial Sunset. Australia and Papua New Guinea 1970–74. University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1983, pp. 271. $24.95.

James Sinclair, Uniting a Nation: The Postal and Telecommunication Services of Papua New Guinea. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1984, pp. 287. $20.00.

K. Buckley and K. Klugman, ‘The Australian Presence in the Pacific’. Burns Philp 1914–1946. George Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1983, pp. 392. $19.95.

M. Meleisea et al., Politics in Polynesia. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 262. $F8.00.

R. Teiwaki et al., Politics in Micronesia. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 168. $F8.00.

P. Larmour with S. Tarua (eds), Solomon Islands Politics. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 305. $F11.00 (cloth); $F8.00 (paper).